New Study Reveals Effective Protection Against Hip Fractures
Staggering findings, reported by India Today and the International Osteoporosis Foundation, indicate that India ranks among the top five countries when it comes to hip fractures in the elderly. One of the underlying reasons for this predicament lies in the high number of people suffering from osteoporosis, which is the leading cause of hip fractures. Osteoporosis is more common in women than men, with 46 million females suffering from this condition in the nation, as reported by the National Center for Biotechnology Information.
Furthermore, as hip fractures carry a host of undesirable health risks, such as urinary tract infection, blood clots, and even the decline of one’s skeletal strength, a great number of elderly Indians find themselves opting for assisted living facilities, where they can rely on the expertise of a professional medical staff to care for them.
New Findings on Effective Protection Against Hip Fracture
Even though osteoporosis is one of the main causes of fractured hip bones, Cortisone and Prednisone treatments that are used to counteract inflammatory conditions in the elderly, such as rheumatoid or muscular arthritis, can greatly contribute to hip fractures .
However, a recent study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) reveals that Alendronate – the osteoporosis medication – serves as a protective treatment and reduces the risk of hip fractures in the elderly (who receive Cortisone) by a staggering 65%. In other words, even if one doesn’t suffer from osteoporosis, but receives Cortisone or Prednisone for conditions such as arthritis, they can greatly benefit from Alendronate. Kristian Axelsson, the co-author and doctoral candidate had the following to say on the matter, “If a patient receives the protective treatment, the risk of suffering a new fracture, and in particular the new hip fractures that we are really keen to prevent, reduces dramatically…”
Alendronate in India
Alendronate is a generic drug that is sold under two well-know brands in India – Denfos and Alenost. As for its use as a protective medicine against hip fractures, it is yet to gain mainstream popularity in the pharmaceutical and medical world in the Indian nation. On a similar note, Dr. Kristian Axelsson went on to express his hopes for this new effective treatment, “The number of patients receiving the treatment is quite low at present, but we are hoping this study will mean more prednisolone patients will receive the fracture-preventing treatment.”
Overall, there are high hopes for this protective treatment that can help prevent hip fractures in the elderly, and consequently, the numerous health conditions that can arise from such an accident. With the available research data, it is only a matter of time before it becomes a must on a worldwide scale.